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Lake Arrowhead is my home away from home. It’s a picturesque mountain town, nestled high in the San Bernardino Mountains, built around a crystal clear natural lake. It’s only a 45 minute drive from my house but it feels a world away. The geography is completely different, largely due to its 5100+ ft elevation. There are no palm trees in Arrowhead – instead the landscape is speckled with pines, cedar, and dogwood…it doesn’t look like the California you see in pictures! Some of you might know it from the 1998 Parent Trap remake, as many of the scenes were filmed there.

Sorry for the delay on this post!! I’ve been hosting a bunch of family since last weekend and things have been hectic. This is another look from my trip to the harbor with hubby. It was truly such a pleasant staycation. After soaking in the sunset by the water, we grabbed a late dinner downtown. San Pedro is a really cute town with a lot of history and diversity.

In a recent post for Urban Darling I mentioned that I’d been planning a trip to Tulum earlier this year. Unfortunately, when I found out I was pregnant, the trip was pretty much nixed due to Zika. Plus we realized we could really stand to save the money. Although I didn’t get my fabulous tropical vacation, we did spend this past weekend down by the water. We spent one day exploring San Pedro, LA’s original port city, and another day visiting family in quaint Manhattan Beach. These pictures were snapped around the harbor in San Pedro. We stayed at the Double Tree right on the marina…it was very comfortable and picturesque.

I lived in the heart of LA for nearly a decade (and loved every minute of it). But more recently, when it came time to settle down and buy a house, my hubby and I decided on the suburbs – 1. Because he works in the suburbs and a five minute commute is better than a two hour commute. 2. Because it’s cheaper, DUH. So now we live in the foothills of the San Gabriel mountains, about 45 minutes from the city (if traffic is light). It’s a bit quieter, but definitely still busy enough. In our particular case, we live right as the base of the highest peak of the San Gabriels, Mount San Antonio, or more commonly Mount Baldy. In fact, we have a gorgeous view of the mountain right from our doorstep…

For those of you who know me or follow my blog, you’ll know that my hubby is British. He moved to the US about 20 years ago now, and is a dual British/US citizen. ALL his family however is back in the UK. He’s super close with them (mom, siblings, and extended family too, not to mention a daughter with his ex) so we make frequent trips across the pond. We have an arrangement where we spend every other Christmas in England, and we’ll be leaving tomorrow. It gives me a great excuse to shop for winter clothes that I wouldn’t normally need here in Cali. I’ve spent the last month stockpiling wooly sweaters and plaid scarves 🙂 I usually plan my packing in advance – even if I don’t actually pack, I plan all the outfits in my head. I’ve been so many times that I have a sort of system down. We also tend to visit in the summer, and though the items I pack are different, the idea is the same.

I’m heading off to Florida again tomorrow night! To be honest, my dad is not in the best of health, so he asked me to fly back for another visit (I was just there in March). But at least this time he’s out of the hospital and looking forward to enjoying some time with me and my hubby. Florida is not a traditional vacation for me since I was born and raised there (in a tiny beach town halfway between Miami and Palm Beach). But it’s still a nice resorty area and I will definitely sneak in some time for relaxation and meals with old friends. Traveling there at this time of year is always a bit of a challenge because it will be SUPER hot and SUPER humid. When I was there in March it was lovely, but not so for the end of May. Hence I’ll be packing a lot of lightweight, airy pieces and of course a swimsuit or two…

I try to be smart about accessories, especially for shorter trips. No need to bring more than three pairs of shoes and two handbags, if you choose wisely. For this trip I’ll definitely bring my strappy black gladiators, some trendy flat espadrilles, and a nice neutral wedge. Between the three, I’ll have shoe options for all of my outfits! I’ll bring one handbag in a pop of color and the Rebecca Minkoff MAB is a great choice. It’s classic, and big enough for all my stuff, so this is probably the purse I’ll carry on my flight. Then I only have to worry about packing a smaller bag, and I like the idea of a leopard crossbody. The leopard is essentially neutral, but a little more exciting, and the small size makes is easy to dress up for an evening out. Of course I can’t forget sunglasses, which are a must no matter where I go. I love love love two-tone sunglasses in black and white because I feel like they go with everything. This pair is beyond cute! I always take my grey suede DVF luggage everywhere I go. That set is sold out now, but I absolutely adore this option, also by DVF. I might have to scoop it up as a back-up!

Stay tuned, because I’ll make an effort to shoot most of these looks while I’m there, and I’ll definitely post what I’ve got when I get back 🙂

Whew I’m happy to be back in LA!! After two freezing weeks in England, then an emergency trip to Florida, I’m soooo behind on everything that I barely know where to begin. The good news is, my dad appears to be doing better. When my mom called during my trip to England, he was in really bad shape and we thought we might lose him. By the time I arrived in Boca, he was still in the hospital and still very weak, but he had been moved out of ICU. During the week I spent there, at first I wasn’t sure how he would fare, but by the time I left I saw a marked improvement and felt okay about heading home. It’s not easy to watch a loved one struggle and suffer, but I know he was happy that I was there to hold his hand, even if only for a while. I want to share just a few snaps from my trip. The truth is, I spent most of my time in the hospital, obviously NOT taking pictures. But since my dad spent a lot of time resting, I did have some free time, mostly spent outdoors in the beautiful spring weather, or otherwise meeting with family.

How I dress for a day at the hospital…in a floral dress and my favorite Report gladiator sandals.

How my brother dresses for a day at the hospital…in coated denim and snazzy Dries Van Noten kicks. We live for fashion no matter what.

Of course I chilled out in the backyard I grew up in.

My dad is a lover of boating and fishing, so we’ve always lived on the water.

My grandmother lounging in the shade, looking so very Florida.

While digging through old photo albums, I found this gem of me as a baby, swimming with my dad ❤

My mom is an exercise nut and copes with stress by working out. (She’ll probably kill me for posting this pic.)

I joined her for early morning walks on the beach…something she does religiously.

Breakfast with my grandmother at the Broken Egg Cafe, on our way to the hospital.

And a yummy organic lunch with my cousin at Farmer’s Table, before I hopped on my flight back to LA.